Thin-place detector for looms.



PATBNTED 16.27, 1907.

.FLALLEN. THIN PL DETECTOR POR- LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. EDWARD F. ALLEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COMPANY, OF

IIOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

THIN-PLACE DETECTOR FOR LOOMS.

- Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inThin-Place Detectors for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing','is a specification, like letters on the drawingrepresenting like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of novel and improved means for detecting the occurrence ofla thin place or streak in the cloth being woven on a loom and upon such detection to effect automatically a change in the operation of the loom.

In thin -place; detecting "mechanism the detector'or member which i1or n'12 tll y rests upon ploth'is 'set' as' near as possible to the tell, but at best at l liimber of picks, eight or more, must intervene betweenthe detectorand the fell in order thatthe detector shall notinterfere with the reed-on the be atup.

I To those familiar with weavingit iswell known that when the .filling is beaten in the fell of the cloth is moved forward a considerable distance, and if the detector is so set as to be engaged by the reed at such time breakage of parts will result. Whileit is desirable to set the detector just as close as possible to the fell, in order that the detection of a thin place in the cloth shall be prompt, it is impossible with the existing thinplace detecting instrumentalities to set the detector very near the fell, for the reasons stated.

In my present invention I have devised means whereby the detector is moved in unison with the fell at the beat up, thereby obviating any liability of engagement with the reed, and in consequence the detector can be set practically at the fell, or only a pick or two away from it. A very prompt and rapid response to the detection of a thin place is thereby secured, and the amount of cloth let back or to be picked out when a thin place occurs is reduced to a minimum.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sufficient portion of a loom, with one practical embodiment of my present invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof on the line 2-2, Fig. 1, looking toward the left, the lay being shown in forward position by dotted lines.

Thelay 1, reed 2, hand-rail 3, breast-beam 4 provided with a knock-off lever 5 for the shipper 6, the temple T, and its stand T, may be and are all of well known or usual construction.

Herein I have illustrated one practical apparatus embodying my invention, in order to explain the same, but without thereby restricting myself merely to such Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 17, 1

Patented Aug. 27, 1907.

907; SerialNo. 379,342.

mechanism or details thereof, as it will be manifest hereinafter that various changes or modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Referring to the drawing an L-shaped bracket 7 is secured by bolts to the breast-beam adjacent the temple stand, said bracket having a transverse bearing 8 on its rearward extension, in which bearing is mounted a-horizontal rock-shaft 9, extended beneath the temple stand and at its outer end supported in a bearing 10, see Fig. 1.

Collars 11 .on the rock-shaft prevent longitudinal movement thereof in its bearings, the outer end of the shaft being herein shown as provided with a crankarm 12 terminating inan upturned fork 13, which loosely receives a dog or pawl 14 pivotally connected at 15 with the shipper-releasing lever 5.

Under normal conditions the dog 14 is held in the position shown in Fig. 2, but should a thin place in the cloth be detected by means to be described the rock-shaft 9 will be turned to lower the arm 12 and the dog 14 will descend into position to be engaged by a vibrator 16, and thereby the operation of the loom will be changed. In this particular arrangement illustrated such change will be a stoppage of the loom by or through release of the shipper, as forward movement of vibrator 16 will act through the dog 14 to operatively swing the releasing or knockoff lever 5. The inner end of the rock-shaft 9 is provided with an elongated arm 17 extended rearwardly above the cloth 0, and this arm forms a support for the thin-place detector.

I have herein shown the detector as a downturned finger or extension 18 Fig. 2, at the rear end of a rod or shank 19 slidably mounted in a bearing 20 fast on the support 17, so that the detector is movable forward or backward, but any up or down movement of the detector will cause the shaft 9 to turn in its bearings. A bunter 21 is adjustably secured by a set-screw 22 to the detector shank 19, the base of the bunter depending below the shank at 23 and having an aperture to loosely receive the arm 17, so that the shank can slide longitudinally with relation to the supporting arm 17. A spring 24 interposed between the bearing 20 and the base of the bunter acts to move the detector 18 and its shank 19 rearward, such movement being limited by an adjustable collar 25 on the shank in front of bearing 20.

The detector 18 is adapted to rest upon the cloth O and to hold the rock-shaft 9 in such position that the arm 12 thereof will retain the dog or pawl 14 inoperative, the detector being set or adjusted to rest upon the cloth closely adjacent the fell 0 say within one or two picks. This adjustment is effected or determined by the setting of the collar 25, as will be obvious, the spring 24 forcing the detector rearward as far as the collar will allow. Inasmuch as such setting oi Q the'detector would bring it into engagement with the reed on the beat up, thereby causing damage to the L parts, I have devised means to automatically movethe detector in unison with the fell at such time. Herein such unison movement is effected by engage- 5 ment of the hunter 21 with a convenient part of the i lay, such as the hand-rail 3, thebunter being so adjusted 0n the detector shank 19 that the hunter will be engaged just before the reed can hit the detector, on i the beat up. Consequently as the lay continues'its iorward stroke beating in the iillin'g and thereby mow i ing the toll forward, the hunter will move the deteo tor forward in unison, so that the relative position of the detector and the fell of the clot-l1 is not altered. The spring 24 is compressed on the iorward movement and expands as the lay goes back, to thereby return the detector to its rearward position; iihile the iiill= ing at the fell sustains the detector the parts will operate to retain the dog i4 inoperative, hut upon the occurrence of a thin place in the cloth the detector 18 1 will no longer be sustained and will drop between the wa' i'p threads, causing the rock hait '9 to turn andeffecting operative positioning of the iog 14 to cooper i ate with the vibrator i6. By means of my invention the detector may beset i right at the fell, instead of 'sevei'a'l picks "away from or ahead of it, and by such close setting a more prom t and rapid detection of a thin place in the cloth will 3 result. v l The particular change in the operation of the loom 1 herein indicated, to wit, ioom stoppage, is meiely illustrative, as other changes in the normal operation Y of the loom may be arranged forgu pon the operation of l the thin-place detecting mechanism? 2 Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters (Patent is 1. In thin-place detecting mechanism for looms, in combination, a lay, a detector to normally rest upon the cloth adSa-eentme fell, a support on which the detector is movebi'y mounted; one means to eitee't movement of the detector relatively to its support and in unison with the fell when the lay beats hp.

2. In thin-place detecting mechanism for looms, in combination, a lay, a detector to normally rest upon the cloth adjacent the 811, find means to effect forwai'd movement of the detector in unison with the fell by or through the lay when the iatteiheats up.

3. In thin-place detecting mechanism for looms, in com- "bination, a lay, provided with a reegi, a detector to 110i 'maliy rest upon the cloth adjacent the fell, and a hunter connected with the detector and engaged by a part of the lay on the beat no, to move the detector forward out of the way of the reed 4-. In thin-place detecting mechanism for iodine, in combination, a lay provided with a reed; a detector to normally 'rest upon the cloth adi'iacent the fell, means to move the detector forward out of the way oi? the reed when the lay beats up, and a spring to return the detector to opera-hive ipoeirion as the lay 'moves back.

5. In thin-place detecting mechanism for'lo'oms, in combina'tlon, a detector to normally rest upon the cloth adjacent the Tell; and means to eflf'ee't forward movement of said detector in o-uison with the tell at fiie qliih tip or the filling. e

6. Ina loom, in combination, a uiimpmce detector to normally rest upon the clothadja'cent the fell, a su port upon which the detector is movable, means worm-oiled hy the deteetor to ,efieet a change-in the o eration of the ioom upon the occurrence or n thin :pl'a ce in the cloth; and'meafis to efiect automatically movement oi the detector in unison with the fell of the cloth wlieii the filling is beaten in.

In testimony wheieof, T have signed iid'ifl'e to this specificationin the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

'TEDWARlfi i ALLEN. Witnesses;

W. C. Loirsiioiro, FRED -S. 'G-KEENImAi 

